


Somewhere That's Green

by kissontheneck



Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: Cookleta, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-04-20
Updated: 2009-04-20
Packaged: 2017-10-05 16:15:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kissontheneck/pseuds/kissontheneck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>White picket fence, dog and 2.4 kids.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Somewhere That's Green

**Author's Note:**

> Written with inspiration and encouragement from **storylandqueen** (LJ).

Some days, David Archuleta couldn't believe his life. He couldn't believe he was living his dreams, obtaining everything he ever wanted... the beautiful house he lived in, the wonderful career he enjoyed, his two beautiful children he had had with his amazing partner. It was not something he had really seen in his future, especially when his universe took the abrupting turn that it did that basically sealed his fate of not living the typical life as the head of a quiet, typical Mormon household. His life had taken a sharp left in the spring of 2008, and it wasn't ever going back. A turn so drastic that while he wasn't unhappy with the events of the time, he didn't think he'd still be able to have a normal existence. Didn't think he'd have that white picket fence (he really did!), the well-groomed yard, the nice car, the amazing partner of his life, and especially children. He even had a dog -- no, two dogs, now that the rambunctious boxer puppy had arrived last week -- and he paused a moment to watch her scamp across the yard, close on the heels of four year old Liam as he raced giggling from one corner of the yard to the other.

"Daddy, look!"

David's attention snapped to the little girl beside him, drawing on the walkway. Her large, gleaming Irish eyes sparkled with excitement. "Did I do it this time, Daddy?"

David looked to where her small fingers were pointing. He had written out her whole name for her -- Fiona Claire Cook -- in large green letters. Just below it were the many attempts at trying to copy the words, and her n, e and k were still being reproduced backwards. Regardless, he smiled and said, "Fiona, that's the best one yet."

She beamed up at him, her smile forming a smirk like her father's, and David noted her pink chalk was clutched tightly in her left hand. He couldn't help the explosive grin that spread across his face, as it was what he had secretly hoped for. He forced himself not to put crayons into her hand for her, to let her choose which hand she was going to use naturally, and it seemed he was being rewarded for it. Now that he looked at the letters again, he noted the familiar smears from the left that he had struggled to get over himself.

Their older dog, Dublin, wandered over to them now and seemed to be examining the writing on the sidewalk. Fiona squealed, "Dublin!" and scooped up the Scottish terrier in a hug, dropping the chalk from her hands. Dublin jerked in surprise and flailed his paws wildly in the air.

"Oh, remember, be careful, honey, Dublin's not as young as he used to be."

"How old is he, Daddy?"

"He's seven now!"

"Wooow, he's ollld," she cooed, pushing her face into the top of the dog's head. "You're three years older than me, Dublin," she said. She paused before conferring with David. "Is that right, Daddy?"

"Yep, three years," David confirmed and gently scratched Dublin behind the ear. "You're getting good with those numbers, kiddo."

"I been practicing."

David couldn't help looking at her in amazement, even now, four years later. She -- along with her brother -- were truly blessings from heaven (doubly so when they were discovered to be twins) and he never wanted to take advantage of that fact. He never wanted to get used to it, he wanted to always find them amazing in every way. He wanted to always be thankful for them and adore them and feel his heart bursting with love for them. She had Cook's smile, that was for sure, but her eyes and raven-black hair were very much those of her mother, another person he was forever indebted to for her offer of carrying their children. He would never be able to thank Carly enough, though he made a point to try every time he saw her.

"Hey, heads up over there!"

David looked up to the ever-familiar voice to find a small foam football sailing towards him. He grabbed Fiona and pulled her under him just as the ball bounced off his shoulder and flopped to the ground.

"Whoa, sorry, Archie," Cook said, jogging over. "Liam's getting quite an arm on him."

David looked up again, releasing his daughter, who was now almost strangling Dublin in her grip. Cook stopped short before them, picking up the ball, and Liam came trotting up beside him, grinning. David couldn't control his happiness again as that same Cook smile cracked his son's face too, and David had to hold back an emotional whimper at the sight of Cook and Liam, both wearing bright red Kansas City Chiefs jerseys, names emblazoned on the backs of either.

"I guess I should go get the barbecue going," Cook said, ruffling his son's hair. "Girls will be here any time, right? You ever figure out what's up their sleeves?"

"No," David replied, squinting against the sun. Cook took the opportunity to pull the matching Kansas City cap off his head and push it down onto David's, though half askew. "Brooke just said she really wanted to get together. Why do you think they're up to something?"

Cook licked his lips before answering, he himself now squinting, and he put his hand up above his eyes to shield the sun. David noted how long Cook's hair was getting, as it was matted strangely around the crown of his head. "You never grill them enough," he stated. "I'd have broken them down by now."

David laughed. "Why ruin their fun, if they do indeed have something planned? That's the opposite of the point."

"But as the _receiver_, you want to crack them!" Cook laughed, tracing his palm across the top of his head and glancing across the yard. "Oh hey, speak of the devil... I think that's them coming down the road now."

Sure enough, a sleek, silver-colored car slowed in front of the house and turned into their drive. David grabbed Fiona's hand to stand up to greet their guests, and a moment later, Carly was stepping out of the driver's side door, a smile bursting across her face as soon as she saw them all. Fiona couldn't help her enthusiasm and sprinted across the yard, jumping into Carly's arms while squealing, "Mooommmmeeeeeee!"

"Hi, sweetheart," Carly greeted, kissing the girl on the cheek. "You know, you guys are really too cute," she laughed, pushing the car door closed with her foot and repositioning the girl on her hip better so as not to drop her.

"How's that?" David asked, readjusting the cap on his head.

Carly laughed. "If you could just see you guys, all standing in the yard together, cute matching outfits and stuff. You're like a Rockwell painting for the twenty-first century."

Brooke had emerged from the passenger's side of the car now and approached David, immediately giving him a hug and kissing him on the cheek. "How's everyone?" she asked, now moving to Cook and doing the same before giving Liam a squeeze as well.

"Just standing around waiting for the queens to arrive," Cook answered, winking at Liam. As if receiving a mental image, Liam grabbed Brooke's hand and kissed the back of it, saying, "Yeah, we been waiting."

Brooke's face scrunched into an expression of adoration and David chuckled to himself. "What a polite young man," she commented, and tugged at the skirt she was wearing in order to do a slight curtsy.

"I was just about to go start up the barbecue, so you guys have a little time to visit while I get that going and stuff." Cook clapped his hand onto Liam's shoulder and said, "I might need some help though."

Liam bounced on the spot, "Me, Dad! Let me!" The boxer puppy had been circling the two of them and now jumped up at Liam, as if also begging to be one of Cook's assistants. She pushed her paws against Liam and because she was already almost the same size as him, knocked him off balance and he nearly fell, if it hadn't been for the fact that Cook still had his hand on the boy.

"Greta, no!" David scolded, and the puppy cocked her head up at him, an expression of guilt on her face. "No jumping." She whimpered quietly and all the adults laughed gently in response.

"Now, before you run off, David," Carly said, directing her attention to Cook, "we've got something to share with you." Fiona was resting her head on Carly's shoulder and had her hand lazily stroking her mother's hair. "Or well, should we tell them now, Brooke? I'm about bursting and I know you are too, but sometimes these things get formally announced at dinner or such."

Brooke started to open her mouth to speak, but Cook cut her off. "Uh no, you've teased us now. You can't do that and then walk away."

Brooke smiled and said, "I guess we'd better tell now then." She wrung her hands together in nervousness -- or perhaps excitement, David realized -- as her glittering blue eyes darted from David to Cook and then back again. She stepped closer to David again and took his hand in hers. Her fingers were cold and shaky and he felt sympathetic to her even without knowing why she was doing it.

"David..." She trailed for a second. Her eyes were glassing over, but the smile that played on her lips signified they were of joy and not sadness. Her fingers ran across his hand, gently carressing his skin. Though he was completely at a loss as to what was going to come out of her mouth next, his breathing shortened and his heart raced.

"David," she repeated, looking him square in the eyes. "I'm pregnant."

The earth stood still for a moment before the sharp yelping sound of Cook's reaction pierced his consciousness, soon followed by the blur of Cook breaking his eye contact with Brooke as he scooped her up in his arms and twirled her around twice before putting her down clumsily.

"Hey," David found the voice to barely screech out. "Hey, careful there, she's with child. She's..." he paused. "She's with _my_ child."

Tears were streaming down Brooke's face now as she bit her lip and smiled at David, and Carly had come near to drape her arm over Brooke's shoulder, Fiona still hanging off the other.

"It worked!" Cook said too loudly. "It finally worked! David, baby, oh my God!" Now Cook squeezed David tightly against his chest and David found he couldn't breathe, though he couldn't tell Cook so because of it. "Oh my God, I thought it'd never take. All those failures -- I still blame that lab though, but -- oh my God, David, you're going to be a dad!"

David wanted to say that he had already been a dad for four years now, but he still couldn't breathe against Cook's chest, and besides, he knew what Cook meant. It was his turn to have a biological child. One that looked like him, though hopefully not his pointy ears. Brooke's were much more attractive than his and -- he stopped himself because he realized how random it was to be thinking that at that moment. But yes, finally. _Finally_. When Carly had agreed to carry their first baby, it had only taken one shot. So later, when he and Cook approached Brooke to assist in making them the happiest guys on earth for a second time, only to be met with trial after trial of mistakes, bad luck and -- David hated to think of it -- one miscarriage, David had pretty much given up on any of his children carrying on his own DNA, and had, in fact, declared this the last try because he couldn't take it anymore.

Cook pulled back and looked at David with his puffy eyes. Tears played at the corners of them and he finally took one hand and swept at either eye.

"Are... are you sure?" David asked meekly. While the hopeful joy was filling his heart, the defense of his brain was fighting it. He didn't want to get too excited just to be let down once again.

"Kid, she's been sitting on this for three weeks," Carly laughed. "You can't believe how difficult it's been for me since she frantically called me that day asking me what she should do."

"_Three weeks_?!" Cook burst out, "what the--"

"I didn't want to... I wanted to be sure," Brooke said. "Please forgive me, David, but I didn't want to break your heart again."

David nodded solemnly -- yes, he understood completely. Cook, however, said, "Brookie, damn it, we wouldn't want you to suffer that alone. That was a silly thing for you to do to us and yourself."

"But we have a good feeling this time," Carly added, her smile bigger than David had ever seen cross her Irish lips before. "I think this one is it."

"Oh my gosh, Brooke," David said now, the tears falling freely out of his eyes as if a faucet had been broken open, "thank you. Thank you so much." He suddenly buried his face in the crook of his arm and sobbed -- right out sobbed, voice hitching in his throat and he coughed and hiccupped and tried to cover his mouth but it didn't seem to help at all.

"Ooh, David," Brooke's voice hit him only a second before her arms wrapped around him and she rubbed one hand across his back, the other against his neck, soothing her fingers across him in comfort.

"Great, now he's indebted to two people for the rest of his life," Cook commented, and David could almost see the smirk on his face. "You girls are going to start getting better Christmas presents than me, I can see it already."

Brooke drew away from David and gently pulled his arm away from his face, looking at him intently in the eyes. "Are you okay, honey?"

"I --" David looked around him. The love of his life was beaming like an idiot at him, his daughter was asleep against her mother's shoulder and his son was hanging on his leg now, and the two most wonderful friends he'd had in his entire life -- two beautiful women who had sacrificed a lot to allow he and Cook to be the happiest men on earth -- they smiled through joyful tears at him and he just didn't know if he could possibly feel more love or more overjoyed than he did at this very moment.

"My heart is exploding," he finally said, and laughed. "Oh my gosh, this is like... too much. I don't... I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything right now, honey," Carly said, her smile like sunshine on David's face. "We're all just so happy that you're happy -- that this is finally happening for you."

David could do nothing but nod and his gaze fell upon Brooke again. She suddenly looked different -- she glowed. She was more beautiful than she had ever been, and he'd always thought she was pretty anyway. He couldn't help but glance to her midsection and smiled.

"Brooke?"

"Yes, Davey?"

"How many weeks then?"

"Oh, well," Brooke thought a moment. "About seven weeks, I guess now."

"Can I..." David didn't want to say the words because he knew it would sound awkward, but he had put out his hand and she seemed to know what he was asking because she nodded and waved him closer to her. He stepped closer and gently placed his hand on her stomach, spreading his fingers out slowy across the fabric of her shirt. It didn't feel any different than his own or Cook's or anyone else's, which didn't really surprise him as he knew she wouldn't show for awhile. But even so, he sort of wished it felt different somehow. Like he'd feel a spark, or a special connection. He didn't though, it just felt like... her pink cotton shirt. Still, he knew what lay beneath it, and he smiled in spite of himself.

"Come on now," Cook piped up, "I'm starving and we've got plenty to celebrate now, huh? Carly, we've got to celebrate double since half our party here can't or won't consume the lovely, lovely Guinness I purchased earlier today."

.....

David lay stretched out on the bed, shoes kicked to the floor and hands behind his head. He gazed out the window at the twilit sky, the stars just beginning to peek out and twinkle against the dark. He couldn't stop thinking about the news he'd received that day, the beautiful news that he'd be having another child. One with the Archuleta name, Honduran roots and probably quirky traits like his. He hoped he or she would have Brooke's bright smile and definitely her height. He hated being so dang short and didn't want any of his children to suffer the teasing of being the smallest kid in class.

"Whew, those kids are _out_. Lots of activity for them, they went straight to sleep after a little song, no story or anything."

David turned to face the other end of the room where Cook was coming in and closing the door. He pushed off his boots before crossing the room and climbing up onto the bed next to David, laying on his side and propping himself up on one elbow.

"How's it going?" he asked quietly, searching David's face and smirking.

"Fantastically," David grinned. "I'm so... I'm so happy."

"I am too," Cook replied. "Especially after all we've been through. This is it though, I can feel it."

"You think?"

"I _know_."

David bit his lip and thought a moment before he spoke again. He wanted to somehow share his feelings with Cook, include him very personally in this expansion of their family, but he didn't know how to. Words did not exist in English, Spanish or any other language on earth to describe the glow burning within him. He closed his eyes to try and find any words at all that might come close.

"Whatcha thinkin'?"

David laughed gently at the question. "I just... I don't know the words to tell you how I feel right now is all."

"You don't have to," Cook replied, understanding in his voice. "I already know."

David's eyes flew open to meet Cook's. Yes, of course he did. He _did_ know, didn't he? He knew the surging pull in his chest, the soaring heart, random thoughts about baby smiles and hair color and height and _all of it_. He knew it exactly and David smiled now, finally feeling this new connection between the two of them as parents. One he hadn't really gotten to share completely the last time. And now... now a new unbelievable feeling filled him and he didn't really know how he was going to survive the next few months without just exploding. It was almost more than his little heart could handle.

"So, I know you," Cook said, grinning. "I know you've been thinking about this for a couple of years, actually, so tell me. What names you got turning your head right now?"

David blushed a little. It was true that ever since the first thought of him having another child had been proposed -- just over two years ago now, gosh -- that he immediately lept into baby books filled with names. He had notebooks full of combinations and meanings. He had been obsessed for about a year. That was when Brooke had the miscarriage though and he sort of lost his desire for it. But even now, as Cook asked him this, he knew the answer as immediately as if he'd looked them up yesterday.

"I've got a couple," David answered, licking his lips. "I've still got to go over my lists again, but I think there's a couple that stand out."

"Annnnnd?"

"Well, a girl would be Ria Guadalupe," David answered. "I was trying to think how I could use Brooke's name... like 'cause it's a nature name, right? And so I thought, 'rio' means 'river' and if I made it feminine it would be pretty, don't you think?"

Cook nodded, barely whispering his agreement, "Yes."

"And... and Guadalupe, cause... you know, Mom."

"Of course."

Cook traced his hand across David's hip and pulled him a little closer to himself. "Any more?"

"Sorta," David said, giving in to the pull. "Except I don't know, it's not a nature name and I really wanted to do that for Brooke, so... maybe I'll come up with something else."

"Tell me anyway," Cook said, licking his lips and looking at David intently.

"Antonio Matias," David answered. "It means 'priceless gift of God'."

"I like it," Cook replied, though he softly laughed as he did so.

"I don't believe you," David said, heart tingling a little. "What's wrong with it?"

"No, nothing," Cook reassured, "I just... it crossed my mind that we have the craziest family ever."

"What do you mean?"

"We have two fathers, two mothers, some Irish babies, some soon-to-be Latino babies... It's a little unconventional, no?"

"Well, it's not like any family I ever knew growing up, that's for sure."

"Me either. But I'm so glad we have it." Cook closed the gap between them and pressed a kiss on David's forehead. "It's the best family there ever was."

"Yes," David agreed, nuzzling his face into Cook's neck and allowing his tired eyes to sink closed. "The best."

 

(Honestly, if there were no Cook, I'd probably ship Brookleta. ♥)

**Author's Note:**

> Because I'm obsessed with names and their meanings (word nerd?) and also because I spent a lot of time looking them up and putting them together, I share with you the meanings of the Archuleta-Cook clan's children. Cook's children have Irish Gaelic names, to honor Carly. Fiona means "fair" and Claire means "light". Liam's full name isn't ever stated, but it is Liam Cael Cook, Liam meaning "resolute protector" (from William) and Cael meaning "slender" (which in this case I used not for it's meaning but just because I think it sounds cool). I picked this not only because I have a bit of fondness for the name Liam, but also because I see Liam as his "little" sister's protector, even though they're the same age. The names Archie picks are Spanish, and as he explains nature-inspired, or at least one of them is. At the time I wrote this, I fake!used Ria to mean "river" (feminized version anyway), but it's really not (though an online baby name book told me so, but a Spanish person told me no). Guadalupe is, as he says, to honor his mother and also means "from the river of black stones". His other name choice more aptly reflects how he feels about his new-coming child -- Antonio (from Anthony) means "priceless" and Matias (from Matthew) means "gift of God".


End file.
